West Shore Cafe Announces New GM & Chef

Lake Tahoe’s West Shore Café and Inn Announces New Hires

Martis Camp's Mike Davis and Stacie Krenicki move to chic lakeside restaurant as new Executive Chef and General Manager

HOMEWOOD, Calif. (April 22, 2013) – JMA Ventures, LLC (“JMA”), owners of Lake Tahoe’s West Shore Café and Inn, the highly acclaimed and picturesque lakefront establishment located adjacent to Homewood Mountain Resort, is pleased to announce the appointment of Mike Davis to the position of executive chef and Stacie Krenicki as the property’s new general manager, effective immediately. Both Davis and Krenicki were most recently at Martis Camp, a private, luxury gated community located between historic Truckee and North Lake Tahoe in the Martis Valley. Martis Camp is considered one of the most successful private developments in the United States, and both Davis and Krenicki were integral behind the community’s first-rate service standards and food and beverage program for a number of years.

“We are thrilled to welcome both Mike and Stacie to lead our team at West Shore Café and Inn,” said Todd Chapman, CEO and president of JMA. “It is not often you can bring such a high quality team over at the same time and each brings exceptional experience and an exemplary standard of excellence to the job, and we look forward to elevating West Shore Café and Inn’s culinary and service levels to even greater heights under their management and guidance.”

Davis brings a diverse background in the culinary industry to his position as executive chef. Inspired by Julia Child, Davis started cooking in his teens, and went on to work for a variety of establishments. In the early stages of his career, he worked at The Village at Breckenridge in Colorado, before moving to The Lodge and Spa at Breckenridge under Executive Chef Kenneth Hughes, acquiring his first experience with European style and French technique.

After a self-guided culinary tour up the West Coast, Davis went to Seattle, where he spent time honing his seafood skills at Axis, The Brooklyn Restaurant, and Waterfront Restaurant. The Dining Room, the fine dining restaurant in the four-star Salish Lodge and Spa, was his next stop. As executive chef, he focused his attention on working with organic and all-natural products, and created outstanding food pairings with one of the largest wine lists in the Northwest. He was awarded honors including the AAA 4 Diamond Award, the Mobil 3 Star Award, and the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence. The Salish Lodge and Spa was also named to Conde Nast Traveler’s Gold List and is considered one of the 500 Best Hotels in the World by Travel + Leisure magazine.

In 2004, Davis opened his own restaurant, 26brix Restaurant and The Bar @ 26brix in Walla Walla, Washington. During a four-year span, the restaurant garnered national attention, including two invitations for Davis to cook at the prestigious James Beard House in New York City. In the spring of 2009, Davis joined the Heavy Restaurant Group in Seattle, opening three restaurants in nearby Bellevue, Washington, in just over a year. Managing three kitchens, Davis was responsible for cuisine styles including: Mediterranean-focused, wine-friendly fare; upscale, modern Mexican; and gastro-pub fare infused with culinary Americana. Following his time with Heavy Restaurant Group, Davis joined Joie de Vivre Hospitality to oversee the development of food service at the historic Oakland property, The Waterfront Hotel. As executive chef, Davis introduced “Southern-inspired cuisine,” creating a fusion of styles that fit the property and clientele.

Craving a return to the mountains, Davis took an executive chef position at Martis Camp, where he was responsible for the food service at the property’s three main facilities: the casual Family Barn serving diner-style offerings; The Lodge, providing service and dining comparable to some of the country’s best white table cloth restaurants; and The Ski Lodge, which caters to Martis Camp’s private ski lift patrons.

At West Shore Café and Inn, Davis is excited to re-focus the menu, offering lighter takes on comfort classics as well as expanding the restaurant’s seafood offerings. Davis is also toying with infusing flavors from New Orleans, where he spent most of his formative years.

New General Manger Stacie Krenicki will assume all service responsibilities at the property. With a strong special events and catering background, Krenicki will bring a high service mentality to the West Shore Café and Inn, where she’ll implement a thoughtful and engaging service program, creating unique and memorable experiences for every guest.

A Tahoe local for the past 16 years, Krenicki is a proven leader with impeccable standards. Most recently, she served as the special events director at Martis Camp and was the lead organizer on all member events, banquets and weddings, which totaled over 200 annually. Prior to her time at Martis, Krenicki developed and refined her leadership and management skills at several high-end Lake Tahoe establishments. She began her career working at The Resort at Squaw Creek as the general manager of the on-site restaurant, Ristorante Montagna, before being promoted to senior operations manager at The Resort at Squaw Creek in 2002. Next she moved to the Tahoe Mountain Club as special events planning and sales manager. After four years at the property, Krenicki then worked as the director of catering at D’Lish Catering, where she was responsible for booking, planning and executing all events.

The West Shore Café & Inn is located at 5160 West Lake Boulevard, Homewood, California, 96141. For additional information, please visit www.WestShoreCafe.com.

About West Shore Café and Inn:

The West Shore Café and Inn includes a casual yet elegant lakefront restaurant, with indoor and outdoor seating, an intimate six-room luxury inn with four two-room lake-view suites and two mountain-view guest rooms, and an outdoor bar and private pier that welcomes boaters during the summer months. Overnight guests enjoy a romantic lodge setting with spacious suites and guestrooms that combine the nostalgia of Tahoe’s historic West Shore with rustic sophistication. Floor-to-ceiling windows offer breathtaking views of the lake below, while stylish interiors feature warm leather accent, beautiful custom finishes, rich woods, and charming touches including black and white photographs of old Tahoe, cozy fireplaces and outdoor balconies. Lakeside amenities include 30 private buoys and a boat valet. Lodging and dining reservations are strongly encouraged and may be made by calling the West Shore Café and Inn at 530.525.5200 or by visiting www.WestShoreCafe.com.